Movable bed apparatus



S U M E G H A m B m R m V 0 M June 23, 1970 5 Sheets-Sheet 1.

Filed June 27, 1967 llll-Flllll F'IGZ.

INVENTOR G6 68 ROBERT H. ANGUS ATTORN EY J n 23 197 v R. H. ANGUS 3,516,097 MOVABLE BED APPARATUS Filed June 27. 1967 s Sheets-Sheet 2 FIGB.

INVENTOR ROgERT H.ANGUS ,ATTO RNEY J e 23, 1970 R. H. ANGUS 3,516,097

MOVABLE BED APPARATUS Filed June 27. 1967 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 G6 INVENTOR ROBERT H. ANGUS ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,516,097 MOVABLE BED APPARATUS Robert H. Angus, 1835 Vouxhall Road, Union, NJ. 07083 Filed June 27, 1967, Ser. No. 649,269 Int. Cl. A47c 21/00 U.S. Cl. -623 11 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This invention relates to a bed which is capable of being raised and moved forwardly on a fixed frame and which is rotatable in its raised position. The invention is comprised of lifting mean's connectable to the frame of the bed which is capable of raising the box spring and mattress and moving the same toward the foot end of the bed. A rotatable means is disposed on the lifting means for permitting the rotation of the box spring and mattress.

The present invention relates to a bed and more particularly to an adjustable position bed.

'Heretofore it has been known in the prior art that many difficulties have been experienced in the handling of mattresses and box springs of beds. For example, in many cases two beds are used in side by side relationship and a single headboard covers the head portion of the beds. In order to change thesheets of the beds, the individual must, of necessity, get in between the contiguous beds and apply the sheet in the normal manner which requires moving from the foot of the bed to the head of the bed and back again and around the bed to accomplish the fitting of the sheet in its proper position. The beds must be separated in order to accomplish the making thereof and this continued separation and closing of the beds leads to a shaky headboard and unstable hinge conditions which hold the headboard in place.

Further, in attempting to clean beneath the bed it is very difficult for the person to fit a vacuum or broom underneath a bed to accomplish the cleaning purpose because of the close position to the floor of the frame.

A further objection in the prior art devices is the fact that in order to change the position of the mattress on the box spring or on the frame as by shifting the head of the mattress to the foot of the bed which is normally done to equalize the wear on the mattress, the mattress has to be lifted and turned overthereby necessitating the person to lift the rather heavy mattress to accomplish their purpose. Not only are the mattresses heavy but the cumbersome nature and shape of the mattress does not lend itself to be readily shifted into position on the frame and box springs.

As previously mentioned the beds are being continually separated and pushed together so that the beds sheets may be changed and the beds may be cleaned beneath. This however, creates caster marks in carpeting or the like floor covering and in many instances leaves unsightly marks in the floor covering.

It is an object of the present invention to avoid and overcome the foregoing and other difficulties in the prior art by the provision of an inexpensive means of raising and shifting the mattress in position on the bed frame.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a mattress and box spring which may be lifted from the frame through a convenient height for the making of the bed.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a means for swiveling or turning the box spring and mattress in its raised position on the frame of the bed.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a lifting mechanism for a box spring and mattress which may give easy access to the floor space beneath the bed.

Patented June 23, 1970 Still another object of the present invention is to provide a liftable and turnable box spring and mattress which will permit the ready availability of all four corners of the mattress so that the user can change the linens thereon.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a mechanism which will prevent caster marks in floor coverings because of the movement of the beds.

Yet a further object of the present invention is to prevent the previously well known loose or shaky headboards.

The objects of the present invention enumerated above and other objects which will become more apparent as the description proceeds have been achieved by providing a. mechanism for raising the box spring and mattress from the frame of a bed which comprises a means for raising the box spring and mattress, a rotatable means disposed on said means for raising the box spring and mattress for permitting the easy rotation of said box spring and mattress in position and means for replacing the box spring and mattress in position on said bed frame.

For a better understanding of the present invention reference should be had to the accompanying drawings, wherein like numerals of reference indicate similar parts throughout the several views and wherein:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a bed showing two mattresses attached to a headboard with one mattress raised and moved to a forward position,

FIG. 2 is a side elevation of the bed showing the mattresses in similar positions,

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the bed showing the structure thereof, with the mattresses removed, and shown in dotted lines,

FIG. 4 is a side elevation of the bed, this figure shown generally taken along line 44 of FIG. 3,

FIG. 5 is a transverse elevational view of the bed, this figure being taken along line 55 of FIG. 3, and

FIG. 6 is a partial perspective view, showing in skeleton form the lifting mechanism of a mattress.

Although the principles of the present invention are broadly applicable to many other areas, it is particularly understood that the present invention is particularly well adapted for the raising and maneuvering of a box spring and mattress in position on its frame and hence it has been illustrated and will so be described.

For ease of handling, although two beds are shown, one will be described in detail giving the proper reference numerals whereas the second bed will take reference numerals with an a sufiix for the convenience of reading the drawings.

Referring now to FIG. 2, a liftable and rotatable box spring and mattress combination is generally indicated by the reference numeral 10.

As shown in FIG. 3, a rectangular bed frame 12 may be provided with side members 16 and end members 18. The side members 16 and end member 18 may have a generally L shaped cross section such that the bed frame 12 may rest on the horizontal leg 14 of each side member 16 and end member 18 which comprises the bed frame 12. A first cross bar 20 and second cross bar 22 may be fixedly secured between the side members 16 so that anchor positions may be provided for a lifting means 24. It should be noted that the lifting means 24 not only is capable of raising the box spring 26 and mattress 28 but also moves the two toward the foot end of the bed frame 12 and away from the headboard 30 so that the two are capable of rotating without interfering with the headboard 30.

In order to support the box spring 26 on the lifting means 24 a small frame 32 may be provided which may be fixedly mounted on the lifting means 24 and in communication with the box spring 26. The small frame 32 may also be provided with a rotatable means or turntable 34 which will permit the box spring 26 to rotate when the box spring 26 is in the raised position. When the box spring 26 is in its lowered position (as in FIG. the rotative motion thereof is restricted by the side legs 36 of the L shaped side members 16 of the frame 12. It may be seen that the L shaped side members 16 may not be a necessity, in that, if fiat members (not shown) were to be used or if the L shaped side members 16 were inverted, stops (not shown), could be connected to the side members 16 to hold the box spring 26 against rotative motion when it is in the lowered normal position. Therefore the structure of the bed frame 12 cannot be considered to be limited to that hereinabove described. Other alternative structures may be used without departing from the essence of the invention.

In order to permit the raising of the box spring 26 and further to provide the movement of the box spring 26 toward the foot end of the bed frame 12, the lifting means 24- may be comprised of a plurality of elevation arms 38. As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, each elevation arm 38 may be rotatably connected to the side members 16 of the bed frame 12 and operate in pairs. That is, one elevation arm 38 is rotatably connected to one side member 16 through a bearing arrangement 40, and another elevation arm (a mirror image) may be rotatably connected to the other side member 16 of the bed frame 12, so that each pair of elevation arms 44 will work in unison. As shown in FIGS. 2-5 two pairs of elevation arms 44 are utilized, however, more than the two pairs 44 shown may be provided if necessary.

Each elevation arm 38 may be made up of several sections each integral with the other so that the elevation arm may be comprised of one piece of metal, or other sturdy material, which may be formed in a particular manner. Structurally, each elevation arm 38 may be provided with an upright section 46, the upper end 48 of which may be a horizontal portion 42 journalled in bearing blocks 50 connected to the small frame 32. At the lower end of the upright section 46 there may be formed a projecting U shaped section 52, projecting toward the foot end of the bed frame 12 the free end thereof terminating in a lateral projection 54 which may be journalled into the bearing block 50. The projecting U shaped section 52 also provides an abutment surface, the purpose of which will hereinafter be described. A stop member 56 may be connected to the first cross bar 20 and in alignment with the abutment surface on the U shaped section 52 to prevent and limit excessive upright movement of the pair of elevating arms 44. In this manner, the elevating arms 38 in the first pair 44 can only be raised a fixed distance.

Viewing the arrangement of the lifting means 24, FIG. 6, it will be seen that two pairs 44 of elevation arms 38, each member of a pair being journalled at its upper end to the bearing block 50 mounted on the small frame 32, may be moved from a horizontal or retracted position to an upright position, as shown in FIG. 2. It will be seen that the elevating arms 38 terminate at their upper ends in the bearing blocks 50 mounted on the small frame 32 and thereby supports the turntable on which the box spring is mounted, and yet this arrangement will permit the pairs elevation arms 44 to move from the retracted to the upright position.

In order to permit the easy raising of the box spring 26 from its normally retracted position to its raised position over the foot end of the bed frame 12 as shown in FIG. 2, and back again with relative ease, a plurality of foot end resilient members or springs 58 and head end resilient members or springs 60 may be used. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the first pair of elevation arms 44 may be rotatably mounted behind the second cross member 22. The foot end pair of resilient members or springs 58 may have one end connected in spaced relationship on the first cross bar 20 and having their other ends connected to the lower most section of the U shaped portion 52 of the elevation arm 38. Similarly, the other elevation arm 38 of the pair 44- may be provided with the same arrangement of resilient 4 members 38, all tending to urge the elevation arms 38 towards the upright position.

In a similar manner, the second pair of elevation arms 44 may be provided with connecting means at the U shaped portion 52 for using a similar head end resilient means or spring arrangement 60. In this case however, the head end resilient means 60 will be anchored to the second cross member 22. Here again, the intent and purpose of this arrangement is to urge the elevating arms to the upright position.

It should be recognized that although the use of springs are specifically described to urge the box spring and mattress to its upright or rest positions, other means for accomplishing the same purpose may be used without departing from the essence of the invention. For example, hy draulic lift means (not shown) may be used in place of the springs, or any other means well known to those skilled in the art.

As shown in FIG. 3, each of the resilient means 58, 60 are provided with an adjustment vehicle (62, 64 respectively) which may be used to adjust the tension such that more or less lifting force may be used to pull the box spring 26 and mattress 28 from the normal retracted position to the upright position. Since the tension exerted by the resilient means may be varied, it becomes apparent that the force necessary to lift the box spring can be adjustably corrected whenever desired. Similarly, other types of adjusting vehicles may be used, however, with the use of springs I prefer to use turnbuckles as the adjustment vehicles although the invention is not limited to the use thereof.

In order to insure the unitary movement of the first 42 and second pairs 44 of elevating arms to and from the upright position, connecting rods or tie rods 66 may be connected between the two pairs of elevation arms 42, 44 as shown in FIG. 3. The point of connection may be varied, however the connecting rods 66 perform that specific purpose of unitary and uniform motion of the first and second pair of elevating arms 42, 44.

Particular attention must be focused on the positioning of the elevating arms 38 since the functions thereof is not only to lift the box spring 26 but also to provide movement toward the foot end when rotated from the down or rest position to the lifted position. The projecting U shaped section 50 also provides an abutment surface 56, the purpose of which will hereinafter be described.

Viewing the arrangement of the lifting means 24, it will be seen that two pairs 42, 44 of elevation arms 38, each member of a pair being journalled at its upper end to the small frame 32, may be moved from a horizontal or retracted position to an upright position. The upper ends of the elevating arms 38 are journalled into the bearing blocks 50 so that the small frame 32 may support the turntable 34 on which the box spring 26 is mounted, and yet will permit the pairs elevation arms 42, 44 to move from the retracted to the upright positions.

Thus far the motions of raising the box spring 26 and mattress 28 have been discussed and the particular use of the stop member 56 connected to the second cross bar 22 now may be seen to cooperate with U shaped portion 52 of the first pair of elevating arms 42 to act as a stop of the elevation arms 38 in relation to the frame 12. In this manner the U shaped portion 52 in contact with the stop member 56 acts as a means of preventing over pulling of the box spring 26 and therefore stop the upward motion thereof at just the proper height.

Once the box spring 26 and mattress 28 are in the raised position, as shown in FIG. 4, the operator may change the sheets without bending or stretching by merely rotating, on the turntable 34, mattress 28 to the desired position. The height of the mattress 28 is at a comfortable range permitting the operator to act with little or no exertion.

In order to retract the mattress to the normal position, it i merely necessary to reorient the box spring 26 such that it is in alignment with the frame and thereafter push downwardly on the mattress 28. The weight of the box spring and mattress is additive to the pushing force to overcome the urging of the resilient means 58, 60 thereby retracting or rotating the pairs of elevation arms 42, 44 downwardly and toward the head end of the bed frame 12 to the normal position on the bed frame 12.

Generally the weight of the box spring 26 and mattress 28 i sufiicient to hold the pair in the retracted position resting within or on the bed frame 12, however a locking arrangement (not shown) may be provided to insure the releasably fixed position of the box spring 26 in the frame 12. Any convenient locking arrangement may be provided and variations of locking devices may be provided without departing from the essence of the invention.

Throughout the entire specification I have been referring to a box spring 26 as being rotatably connected at its lower surface 72 to the rotatable plate 70 on the turntable, however it should be particularly noted that although a box spring is particularly well adapted for my invention, the exact same structural arrangement of parts may be used in conjunction with any other well known mattress supporting device such as the straight springs.

In summary the present invention permits the lifting and rotating of a box spring and mattress without the movement of the bed frame, and is applicable to single or double beds so that the sheets thereof may be changed without bending or the like.

Although a preferred embodiment of the present invention has been shown and described in detail in accordance with the patent statutes, it should be particularly understood that the invention is not limited thereto or thereby.

I claim:

1. A bed comprising a bed frame in a fixed position, said bed frame having a foot end and a head end, a small frame disposed within said bed frame, elevating means connected between said bed frame and said small frame and operable to raise the small frame and move the same toward the foot end of the bed frame, and a rotatable means disposed on said small frame rotatably supporting a box spring and mattress.

2. A bed according to claim 1 wherein said rotatable means is a turntable to which the box spring is connected.

3. A bed frame according to claim 1 wherein said box spring and mattress are rotated about an axis perpendicular to the plane of said box spring and mattress.

4. A bed frame according to claim 2 wherein when said small frame in its raised position is extended over said bed frame and toward the foot end of said bed frame.

5. A bed according to claim 4 wherein a plurality of resilient members are connectable to said lifting means for aiding in lifting the box spring and mattress from a lowered position on said frame means to a raised forward position.

6. A bed according to claim 2 wherein said lifting means is rotatably journalled to said frame means permitting said lifting means to rotate between a rest position and a raised position.

7. A bed according to claim 6 wherein said frame means is comprised of two parallelly spaced side members, a pair of end members transverse to said side members, a first cross bar connected between said side members, and a second cross bar connected between said side members approximately half way between the foot end and head end of said side members.

8. A bed according to claim 7 wherein said lifting means comprises a first pair of elevating arms rotatably connected to said side members near said second cross bar, and a second pair of elevating arms rotatably connected to said side members, each of said elevating arms being provided with an upper end which is raised when said pairs of elevating arms are urged to the raised position.

9. A bed according to claim 8 wherein said upper ends of said elevating arms are rotatably journalled to said small frame thereby permitting the raising and lowering of said small frame when said pairs of elevating arms are raised and lowered.

10. A bed according to claim 9 wherein said resilient means are connected from said first cross bar member to said first pair of elevating arms and other resilient means are connected to said second pair of elevating arms from said second cross bar, said second cross bar being provided with a stop member which is adapted to engage said first pair of elevating arms to prevent excessive upward movement and movement toward the foot end of the bed frame of said small frame.

11. A bed according to claim 10 wherein at least one tie rod is connected between said first and second pair of elevating arms insuring the uniform motion of said first and second pairs of elevating arms.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,496,174 6/1924 Ruff 5323 XR FOREIGN PATENTS 193,035 9/ 1937 Switzerland.

BOBBY R. GAY, Primary Examiner A. M. CALVERT, Assistant Examiner 

